Motion-picture film-reel mechanism.



W. B. SWINDBLL.

MOTION PICTURE FILM REEL MECHANISM.

APILIOATION IILED JURE19, 1909.

- 970,570. Patented Sept. 20, 1910 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. B. SWINDELL. MOTION PICTURE FILM REEL MECHANISM. APPLIOATIOH Hum 11711111 1909 Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

2 SHEETS-3331 2.

/lizzzzfluww ii Y Witmoeo- To all whom "it may concern: J g -Be it known that I, WALTER B. Swmnnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Raleigh, in the county of Wake and State or North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Motion Picture Film Reel Mechation.

. 'Thisiuvention has reference to motionj. picture fihnreel mechanisms and is designed l to rovide a mechanism for so porting motlon-picture films while in use,w iereby a filmnfter passing in front of a projection winding being automatic and progressing as the hlm 1s unwound from the initial reel, the structure being such that the receiving reel with the. reel from which the film is unwound as it passes through the projection apparatus, the parts then being in position :to. repeat the operation without further dois "In accordance with the present invention and each structure is adapted to deliver the films, from the inside otthe film roll and to that. the incomiu films lflll always be received on the outside of the increasinj ufilm roll. When the entire film has passed from one reel to the otherthen the reels are interchanged and the lilm' may be immedi ately re-passed through the projection apparatus without the necessity of rewindin'g the filntsince', when wound upon therecelving reel, with the present apparatus, the Wound film is ready to be withdrawn therefrom for passage through the projection apparatus in the proper order. Furthermore the wound-up film as it comes from the projection'apparatus need not be exposed or ret-niovedirom the reeei'vin casing since the ll T1 latter as a whole is interc ranged in position fi twith the casing from which the film was unwoundto pass through the projection apparatus, the structure being such that when thp film is unwound to proceed to the projeetion apparatus the casing is rotated while j f to u 'hehrt-he film is wound up after having missed the projection apparatus a receiving ""reelwith its casing is rotated.

The invention will. be best understood nism, which the following is a specificalens is rewound in'a fire proof case, the re,

1 and casing therefor may be interchanged.

1 two identical reel structures are provided,

' receive the film for rewindin v in such marv- Kn Tun S'IATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOTION-PICTURE FILM-REEL MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

npplicntion filed June is, 1909. serial No. 503,195. r

Patented Sept. 20, 1310.

from a consideration of the followin detail description token 111 connection with the this speci cation in which drawingsligure 1 1s a side elevation, partly structural and partly diagrammatic, of 'a film a paratus constructed in accordance with he present invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line A-B of Fig. 1, but omitting thecarry- .ing arm. Fig. 3 is a similar section when the film carrier is in position to deliver the film to the. projection apparatus. Fig. 4- is a plan view of the central portion of one of the film carriers, with parts broken away and in section, the scale being larger than that of the prior named figures. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the film guards. Fig. 6 is, a detail view of a guide roller for direc-ting the film to the projection apparatus. Fig. '7 is a "detail perspective view of an antihindingmechanism used in connection with the winding of'the film after passing the projection apparatus. Fig. 8 is a cross section through the hollow ivotal stem of -acc0mpan ing drawings forminga part of the film reel and holder. Fig. 9 is a detail the lantern is. diagrannnatically indicated at 2. [t is custonmry to mount the projec tion apparatus and the film carriers upon a. suitable base and such base is indicated in Fig. 1 at 8, although this showing is to be taken as illustrative only. At the front end of the base 3 are erected suitable supports 4 carryin brackets 5---6 the showing of which in the drawings is largely illustrative. On top of the supports 4there is erected a post or stud 7, shown in Fig. 3, and this post or stud is'flattened or non-circular, and

ma be quite fiat. as, indicated in Fig. 8. This post is stationary and mounted on the top of the supports 4 so as to move :ibout the post 7 as an axis is a pulley 8i Mounted on one side of the support 4 is another ulicy 9 from which there may extend. a oil:

to the pulley-il guide rollers 11 being utilizedto properly direct the belt. Carried by the brackets (3 is 1V laterally projecting post 12, best shown in Fig. 2, and this post or spindle 12 is mounted in suitable beer ings in. the brackets 6 so that it may be rotared on itslong-itudinal axis; Mounted on the spindle 12 is a pulley 13 receiving power from the pulley 9 through a, suitable belt 14 The spindle 12 is connected to the pullley 13 by rooms of e spring "15 or other slip connection which will cause the pulley and spindle to rotote togetherexcept when the l'OiTiEllOD. off the spindleis resisted by e force superior to the frictional engegemeiit of the spring 15 with the face of the bulky 13 The :{HXXPOSG of this construction will appear hereinafter end. the showing" is to be taken fie-typical of any; suitable slip connection end as not confining the embodiment of the invention to the particular structure shown no this Y flotl eued or nonrirculor like the spindle 7 respect. The spindle 12 is and the showing of the spi idle 7 in Fig. 8

is agreeable to'tlie cross sectional shape of ijllfi spindle l2 Where it progectsbeyoud the were; '3. The bracket is formed with cross 16 near the outer end of which are 127:5, vto s; peripheral Well oft-he casing and top member 19 may be in part or in Whole movable or at least capable of being opened for the purposefofinspecting the inierier of the cesiii At the central portion the bottom of t. 1e cesiiig there is formed a depression in which, rests the heed 21 of a hollow (.iFilililBl or drum 22 hevlug zit .theotlier or open end a peripheral radial flange 23,;tl1e head 21 projectin in like manner from the peripheral Wail of the drum 22. Between the, projecting ortion of the head 21 and the flange 23 t ere'is mounted a circular series of spaced rollers 24:; designed to directly-receive the film be Wound thereon. Projecting from the firings ore redial spokes 25* carrying at their outer ends s rim 2% between which spolieseud rim slid the boilers oi the seeing 18 the lilm is Wound. The rollers 2 are riiounized to rotate freely and may be made of Wood orother suit-able materiel adapted to receive ltlie film Without injuring it.

there is scoured e hollow post 27 having a flat. centre} messes therethrough indicated All illie center or axis of the drum 2% at 28 and adapted to receive either the post 7 or spindle 12. The outer or. upper end of i the post .27 is slotted in line with the pas- Isage 28 as indicated at 29 andentering-this slot is the bent free. end 30 of a lever 31 pivoted to the post 27 near the base tliei eofl The lever 31 is pivotally connected to a stem projecting from one side of a yoke 38 at a central point thereof and this yoke is con-- nected at the ends to stems in. turn connected to central points of blades 35.- The yoke 33 is slotted at the ends is indicated at .36 for the passage of thepius 3 79 so that these pins may move longitudinally of the yoke 33, but are headed as indicated at 37 to prevent their escape from the slots. The pins 34 pass through suitable perforof ons in the Walls of the drum 22 and the blades 35 project between adjacent rollers 2% of spaced, pairs of rollers so as to move radially outward or be drawn radially inward with reference to a film Wound around "the circular series of rollers 24.

The post 3' is of such length thee when a casing 18 isplaoed thereon until it rests upon the pulley 8, the outer end of the post does not reach to the iuturned end 30 of the lever 31 and l lies any force applied to the post 2! ur-rresisted When, however,

the casing l8 is placed upon thespindle 1.2 the letter is ozf'such length as to engage the iuturned end of the lever 31' and force the said lever outwardly with referenceto the slot 29", this movement causing a radially outward movement of the blades which therefore project between rollers and into the casing space between these rollers the blades tending to move them toward end the imier face of the peripheral Well of the casing.

I At one point the flange 23 is out away" for a distance as indicated at 38, at which po nt the rollers 24: are separated by s greater space than elsewhere in the circular series of rollers. Also at this point the well of the drum 22 is cut away and'on one side of'the cut away space there is journale'd a roller 39 while the space indicated at 40, is normally closed by a, gate 4-1 carry log aroller 42 at the outer edge. This gate is provided with guiding arms eilmoveble through guides 44 fast; on the correspond ing wall of the drum 22 while a spring 45' tends to move the giite 41 in s direction to maintain the roller l2 in engagement with the roller 39 thus eflectually closing the opening 4i), but the spring {1-5 Williyield sufiiciently to permit'a'film to pass between the rollers 39 and 42 as will hereinafter appear. In order to manipulate the ole 42 f irorided Journeled to the inner wall of the drum at will & l1&illl8 46 projecting there roni is 22 at so appropriate point, and. at another A of this roller being slanted.

appropriate point in the bottom member 21 of the drum is u conical roller 47, the axis There is also located on the inner wall of the drum u clump member 48 for receiving one end of the film when the latter is to be wound in the casing. On the bottom of the casing there are formed eyes suitably spaced and located to receive the lingers l7 upon the ends of the arms 16 of the bracket 6.

There will. usually be as many eyes do) as there are fingers 17 and these fingers and eyes may be so related that the fingers when inserted in the eyes will clamp therein and so hold the casing firmly to the bracket 6,

but not so firmly but that the casing may be readily KGIHOVOtlfl'OUl the bracket when so desired.

Let lt -he nssuu'ied that llio'uppnrutus is equipped with two drums 18 alike in all rcspects. Let it further be assumed that a roll oil film contained in the drum mounted on the post 7 which letter is ilxed against rotation and rises from the supports The bracket is shown no 'pl'ilVlllltl with suit able guiding rollers for the film which,

in 1, is indicated :it The hmckct 5; and guide rollers 50 are to be taken simply as illustrative of means oi guirlingg the him from the casing 1.8 to the tilin-nctiietiug mechanism 2, it beingunderstood that any suitehle guiding; mechanism muy be einployed for the purpose and that the invew tion is by no means confined to the struceasing which is mounted on the spindle 12.

in the outer wall of each ciisiug there formed an. opening; similar to the opening 40 in the drum 22 and. this opci'nug is guarded by suitable guard rollers similar to the rollers 39 and 42 and one of these rollersis mounted on a spring-pressed. gate similar to the gate ll. lhis structure is indicated generally at and since the structure sit-52 may be. substantially the some as the structure shown in Fig. 5 it is deemed unnecessary to specifically show the structure. The frictional engagement between the bottom of the casing 18 resting on the pulley 8 and said pulley is sullicient to cause a rotative movement of the said casing 18, but. because of the shape of the post 14' the Q hollow post27 is held against rotativeinovement and consequently the drum 22 is also held still, thus holding the series of rollers 2i and the spider made up ofthe arms or spokes and the rim 26 are also held against relative movement. But the film 51 is being constantly drawn from the casing 18 mounted on the post 7, and as the pulley 9 is connected up by a snituhle mechanism typified by the belt 53 to the operating mechanism of the projection apparatus, the casing 155 containing the film is given a relative movement at substantially the speed of withdrawal of 'the'film from said casing so that no special strain is put upon the film in its movement out of the said casing. The lihn, however, may slip on the bottom of the casing and so compensate for the increasing distance of the lihn fromflie axis of rotation as it is being withdrmvn from the casing, the said casing having necessarily a constant rate of rotation. The other casing 18, that is, the one mounted on the spindle 12 is held stationery becuui'se of the engagement of the fingers 17 in the eyes 49, but relative movement is imported to the drum because of the engagement (if-the spindle 12 in the post. 27 of? said drum, which spindle receiviu; rotutive movement, from the pulley 13 through the spring 15 and the said pulley rotated by the belt it coming from the pulley 9. r

llhen'lhe film is first threaded through the machine it. is carried, to thecntrance mechanism 52 at the periphery of the drum 18 mounted on the bracket (3. From this pointthe film is carried across; the interior of the drum and between the rollers 39 and d2, thence around the roller 47 and finally is secured'in the clamp or latch 48. Since the drum 22 is given a .rotative movement by the spindle 12 the film is drawn in through the entrance 52 into the interior of the casing 18 mounted on the bracket 6 and is caused-t0 wind 11 on the rollers 24. But because of the leugti of the spindle 12 the blades have been projected beyond the outer edgcs of the rollers 24: and into the path of the winding film. The result is that the film at these points is held out; of content with the rollers 24 and consequently does not wind tightly thereon. In

order to properly wind the film without, slack upon the rollers 24 of the drum 22 in' the eaoiin 18 mounted it on the bracket; 6, the peripheral speed of t is series of rollers as driven by the pulley 13 when the wind iug commences must be e no] to the s eed of-the film past the o t-ical axis'of the ens. However, as the wining progresses the increasing diameter of the roll of.film causes at corresponding increase in the peripheral speed and to compensate for this the connection between thespindle 12 and the pulicy 13 is made snfiiciently yielding-1o cause a slip to occur on a sufficient pull on the film, but the structure is such that this pull of the film .into the casing 18 carried by the bracketfi continues .untilthe film is en shall. never become destructive. The rolling tirely exhausted fromthe other casing 18. Now in order toaga-in pass the film through theprojection.apparatus itis only necessary to rotate the casing 18 on the bracket 6 in the reversed direction until the eyes 49 have been moved away from the fingers a '17 when the casing 18 may be readily pulled ott' from the stem or spindle 12. The other casing 18 may be simply lifted from the post 7. The two "casings are 110w interchanged, the empty casing being placed on the spindle 12 while the tull casing is placed on the stem or ost 7, resting on the pulley 11. When the full casing was. taken oil the spindle 12 the lever 31 was relieved from pressure and consequently the Wings or blades 35 no longer press against the inner turnof the film roll and the lattertherefore loosely encircles the series of rollers 2th The end of the film 5l engaged by the clamp or latch 48 may now be released and the film carried to the film feeding apparatus 2 and from thence carried to the empty casing'l8 on the bracket 6 and carried throughthe' same and connected to the clamp or lat-oh atS thereof in the manner already described.

- The apparatus is now ready for a repetition in any manner.

-moved from the fire of the? passage of the film'through the,-pro- 'jection mechanism, the film'havin'g been changed from thewinding to the unwinding side of the machine without being reproof casing or exposed It will be observed that by making. the

casings offire proof-.material and provid-' both the drum and the casing'being pro- 'vided with film passages and automatic traps therefor in the walls concentric with the axis of rotation, andthe drum and cas: 111g being capable of rotation independent one of the other. I

In a motion picture machine, a film reccptacle comprising a casing, a drum interior to. and concentric with theorising, both the drum and easing being'provided with film passages, a rotatable carrier for the casin on the unwinding side of the machine, a xed member also on the unwinding .i'ide of the machine for holding the drum ating 1; 1e drum. v 3. I a motion picture machine, a film re-. ceptacle comprlslnga casing,.afilm recelv of the drum.

against rotation, a fixed support for the casing on the winding side of the machine, and a rotatable member also on the wlnding slde of the machine for ing drum interior to and concentric. therewith, and film expanding members movable to increase the film weaving-circumference 4'. In a motion picture ing drum interior to and concentric with said casing, the drum and easing being rela: tivelyrotatable, and a film expander movable to increase the film receiving circumference of the drum.

machine, a film re-. ceptacle comprising a casing, a film receivengaging and act u 5. In a motion picture machiiie,j a filmreccptaclecomprising a casing, 'a film receive mg-drum interior to and concentrlc with said casing, a film expander movable to mcrease the film receiving "circumference of the drum, a hollow post at the axis of the drum having a non-cylindrical axial pas sage, connectlons trom the filmexpander movable into hnd out of said hollow post, and a member adapted to enter the post and :lfrom the film exengage. the connections. pander. p

6. In a motion picture machine, a film receptacle comprising. a casing,=a drum interior to and concentric with the casing and having a film passage therethrough, a holder passage.

7. In amotion picture machine, a film receptacle comprising a casing, a drum interior to and concentric with the casing and having a film passage therethrough', and an automatic trap for said film passage.

'8. In amo'tion picture machine, a film receptacle comprising. a casing, a drum interior to and concentric with the casing and having a film passagethrough its walls, a holder orclamp for one end of the film interior to the drum, an automatic trap forthe a guide roller for the film also'contained within the drum. 4

ce-ptacle comprising a casing having a film passage through its peripheral wall, an automatic trap for said passage, a drum interior to and concentric with the casing and also or clamp for one end of the film interior to "the drum, and an automatic trap for" the passage through the walls ofthe drum, and

, g 9. In. a motion picture machine, a film rehaving a film passage therethrough, the casing and drum being rotatable one relative to the. other, an automatic trap for the passage through the drum, a circular seriesof rollers on andexterior to. the drum, a film expander carried by the drum and movable against a film wound on the circular series of rollers, a post carried by the drum inthe' 4 axis thereof, said post having a non-cyIin-' Intestimony' that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WALTER B. SWINDELL.

Witnesses:

E. HUME TALBERT, V F. T. CHAPMAN. 

